Wafer-cutting machine.



l?. PETERS.. MEER CUTTING Mmmm. AIPPLIOAION FILED NOV. 6, 1905.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

VP. M. METERS. WARE CUTTING momia APPLIOATION FILED HOV. 6, 1905. e Patented.' Dec. 2Q, 1908.

y 8 SHEETS-:SHEET 2.

FTM. PETERS. WAFEE CUTTING MACHINE. APPLIOATIOE FILED NOV. 6, 1905.

. Patented 139.129.1908.

' SHEETS-SHEET s.

P. M. PETERS. WAPER GUTTINGMAGEINE. APPLICATION HLED NOV. 6, 1905.

98,322. Patnted Deo. ,29,A 1908.

e SHEETS-SHEET E. II. PETERS. WAIEE CUTTING MACHINE.

lAPPLICATION EILEDIICV. e, 1905.

atented DCC. 29; 1308.

of redetermined size.

of some difliculty, requiring .careful handling.v

-tion and mode or manner of y stantially a pair of suitably yconnected ,.UNiTED STATES if;

FRANK M. PETERS, or CHICAGO, .ILL-mois.

Specification of Lettere Patent. Application lerl November 6, 1905. Serial No. 386,187

.Patented Dec. 2% 1908.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. PETERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of ll1nois, have invented certain new and use- Improvements in Wafer-Cutting Machinos, of which the following is a specification.

VThis invention relates to. machines for cutting and trimming sheets 'of wafers, thin crackers, and similar brittle bakery products,- and dividing the sheet of material opf erated upon into a number of strips or forms n the manufacture of many kinds of bakery products, and especially those varieties of a delicate and brittle texture, such as sugar wafers and the like, the Wafer stock `is prepared in the form of relatively larve sheets, which divided into a number of smaller. strips each conforming in size andA outline to the dimensions and forni of the Wafer to be made therefrom. On account ofthe delicate and fra 'le nature of these sheets, the proper subdivislon thereof without loss of material is amatter and the em loyment of rapidly operating cutters to e ect a neat and clean division of the wafer sheet without breakage and waste. To produce a machine ca able of thus die viding o ne or more Wafer slhe'ets 'ml'an expe'- ditious manner is the object lof the present invention; and in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the preferred mechanical embodimcnt of my invention, a reference to which will "enable the latter to be clearly understood, both vas to its construcoperation.

In the drawings,--Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the machine; Fig. 2 is a crosssectlonal View from front to rear through d the same Fig. S is a front elevational view; Fig. 4 is a top 1plan view; Fig, 5 is a detail view in vertica section through the 'clutch and braking Vmcchanisn'i Yof th driving means ;v Fiv. 6 is a front eleva-tional view of the parts s' own in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the clutch bolt control-ling device; Fig. 8 is a detail side elevational view of the same; Fi 9 is a side elevational view of the sliding clutch bolt; fand Fig. 16 is a bottom plan view -.of the latter.

The frame of the machine comprises subupright side-frames 20 and spaced apart by a are subsequently cut and su nights.

lower platform 21 and atop plate 22. Rigidly bolted on the platform 21 is an electric motor 23, the armature shaft 24 of which extends beyondone of the side frame members and carries a small friction disk 26.

27 designateseach of a mounted on the side-frames 20, 1n and between which is journaled a shaft 28, on which is mounted a series of circular cutters 29 the peripheries whereof are formed with saw teeth, said cuttersbeing fast on the shaft and rotatable therewith. The peripheries of the cutters at their lowest through a series of parallel kerfs or grooves 22el formed in the upper surface of the plate 22, as clearly shown in Fig. 3; and said series of cutters is preferably provided with a hood 8O constituting a guard. Mounted in and between the front and ames at their upper shafts 31 and ries of sprockets 33 and the latter a corresponding series of sprockets '34, in alinement with the sprockets 33. Over the alined pairs of sprocket wheels are trained sprocket chains 35, the upper lsections of which travel through opves 22b formed in the uppersurface of t e plate 22, centrally between and alternating with the kerfs 22a. Each sprocket chain has mounted thereon a series of pushers or flights 36,- each iight being disposed face to face with vthe adjacent ight on one side and back to back with the parts are a pair of responding .flights on the several chains being arranged in transverse alinement, as

clearly shown ui Fig. 4. Across the receiving end oi the machine is mounted a hood or guard 37 which covers the sprocket chains and their flights at that end'of 'the machine, the upper end of said guard being inclined ownwardly and inwardly towardthe plate 22 vand 'constitutinit in part a guide for positioning the w. er sheet properly upon the chains between twov adjacent sries of A stop plate 38 mounted on 'one of the side-frames 20 at the receiving end of the machine Idetermines the proper position .o f the sheet transversely of the chain carrrer.

rThe wafer-sheet carri-er or conveyer thus constituted by the described series of endless chains and flights is operated by a trai-n Vof gearin -from the armature shaft of the motor, as ollows.

wheel mounted on a cross-shaft 40 and fricpair of standards point enter and travel.

rear endsof the side- 32, the former carrying a se.

39 designates a large friction tionally engaged by the friction disk 26,

which latter is forced into snug driving cnagernent with the wheel 39 by a similaiidler wheel 41 on the opposite side of said friction dislr. (Jn the shaft 46 is a small spur gear 42 that ine-shes with and drives a large 'gear wheel 43 mounted on a cross-shaft 44;

the latter .shaft in. turn carrying a small spur gear 45 that meshes with and drives a large ing and driving a gear wheel 52 fast on the cenveyer drive shaft 32.

The cutter shaft 28 is directly and continuously driven trom' the motor shaft 24 through the medium of pulleys 53 and 54 on said cutter and motor shaits, respectlvely, connected 'Lw f Vllrrr Uy it UCM' d0.

made for ei'ecting an interci ci' the chain Conveyer which tion ei the cutters from the continuously olierating motor by means serving to alterfly establish and break the continuity of L ic train ci driving gears between the motor haft and the driven eonveyer shaft. For iis urpesc :i have selected the automaticily separating clutch mechanism next to be lescribed, although such mechanism per Se old and constitutes of itsell no part of the eeen i vention nel'erring more particularly to Figs. 5 and "fr in' usive, designates a clutch-belt that i, nbiy mounted in a suitable bearing in ol' the large lfear wheel 46, parallel ci the latter, said holt being `sed outwardly toward the ad- 6 by means olacoiispring ilier side or l'ace oi the ol'lcrative )olt has attached thereto a har-- w ip 56 provided with a ze notch 59, l'or purpose hereinf l. Pivoted at 6() in the web of 6l having a radialllgfprojecting J" adapted te engage the notch ,35),

through which the release el' `the detent is effected by means hereinalter described. ihe'detent or catch 61 1s normally pressed inte engagemei'itiwith the clutch-bolt by` .ineens el an adjustable coil springl 62, as

clearly shown in Fig. 5. The perijl'ihery ol' the brake wheel 46 is l'ormed with two radially eii'set peripheral surl'aees, the outer ol' which, desigrnrted by 46u, forms a brake-engaging surface, while the inner, designated by 48, is en ged by an arc-shaped trip-block 63, the upper ci' which is termed en the arc ol' a longitudinally projecting lug 6U.

circle concentric with the circle formed by the inner peripheral surface 483 of the brake wheel. rlhis trip-block 63 is suitably supported and norm ally pressed into engagement with the surface 4S by means of a depending stem 63a that is mounted and vertically slidable in a bracket 64 suitably secured to the adjacent side-frame 20 cl' the machine; a coil spring 65 abutting at its lower end against a portion ol' said bracket and at its upper end engaging a collar 66 l'ast on the stein 63a, urges the trip-block upwardly to its seat on the inner peripheral surface 48b oi', the brake wheel. The trip-block 63 normally over-lies the lug or lip 61b of the detent 6l, as plainly shown in Big. 5 and the side el' the tripblock 63 adjacent to the gear wheel 46 is cut away thro ugh its upper portion on an oblique line extending from the longitudinal center te one end ci' the block, thus forming an inclined or cam surface 67 that is engaged by the end oi the wear-strip 58 ofthe clutch-bolt to retract the latter in a manner hereinafter described. in the side of the brake wheel adjacent to the gear wheel 46 is formed one or more recesses 68 just inside the inner peripheral surface 48h, said recess or recesses being adapted to be entered by the adjacent end olI the clutch-bolt 56; the web of the brake wheel between said recesses being continuous and flat so as to slidingly engage the adjacent end of the clutch-bolt. 'lhe trip-block' is drawn downwardly to release the catch 6l by the following mechanism. 69 (Fig. 2) designates a pedal last on a cri'iss-shalt 7'() at the lower forward end ol the machine, on which shalt is an upwardly extending arm 7l tha; is connected by a link 72 to one arm ol' a hell-crank lever 73 at the rear end ol' lthe machine, the other arm. of said bell-crank lever being connected by a link 74 to the trip-block 63. Freni these connections it will be seen that when the operator depresses the pedal 69 by his foot, the tripblock 63 will be drawn downwarr ly, retracting the detent 61, and permitting the clutchbelt 56 -to snap inte one ol' the recesses 68 in the brake wheel in ease it happens to be opposite one ol' said recesses. Il' not, the end et' the bolt slides along the adjacent iaceof the brake wheel until it cornes opposite the next recess in its path7 whereupon it snapsfinto said recess, thus imparting the rotation ol' the gear wheel 46 to the brake wheel, which .in turn is keyed on the shaft 447, thus rendering continuous the train of driving gears between the motor and the chain conveyer. Pivotally 4mounted at 75 0n a portion of the bracket 64 is a brake arm 7 6. that carries a wooden brake block 77, the upper surface of which frictionally engages the brake surface 462L ol' the brake wheel 48; said brake arm being normally urged upwardly by a cornpression spring 7 8 underlying its free end.

`ftherethrough just outside the outer chain wheel as soon as scrap to the machine grooves, and approximately at the longitudinal center `of said plate, a pair .of oblong .apertures 719, .the rear lend of leach for which,

:considered with reference to the direction of wafer-stock through the snachine, is Aprovided with an upwardly inclinedj travel of the -deilector SOfso disposed as ,todirect thestrips and scraps trimmed off the side margins =of the wafer-sheets down through said holes.

In order to catch discharged through :the holes 1'79 as well as thedust that drops through the saw openings or kerfs 22'?, l provide lan underlying transversely disposed and operating apron 8l l that is mounted on rollers 82 on opposite sides vof the machine frame, the shalt 83 of one of said rollers being driven from the shaf t 32 of the chain conveyer by means oi' engaging bevel gears 84 and 85 on said shafts, respectively.

The operation ofthe machine has to a considerable extent been indicated above, but

may be follows. relative briefly described in its entirety as Assuming that the parts are in the ositions indicated 1n Fig. l, with the clutc -boltl 56 retracted, as shown in Fig. 5, the motor is started` in operation, and a stack of wafer-sheets is placed upon the chain conveyer between the series of flights 36 just emerging from the hood 37 and the next adjacent series of iligths nearest the cutter-disks, which latter are rotating at high speed in the direction indicated by the arrow, the stack of wafer-sheets substantially lling the s ace between the adjacent flights and being laterally positioned by en- 0Fagement with the stationary stop-plate 38. hereupon the o eratoi feeding the material epresses the pedal 69, which retracts the catch 61, allowing the clutchbolt to engage one of the recesses ofthe brake it comes opposite said rel cess, whereby the travel ofthe chain conveyer is started up, a single revolution of the shaft 47 carrying the wafer-sheets from the front of the mac ine through the field of action of' the cutters to the rear end 'of the machine where the divided and trimmed sheets are removed by another attendant, the travel of the chain conveyer being automatically stopped at this point by reason ofthe engagement of the end of the clutch-bolt with the inclined or cam surface/ of the trip-block 68, whereby said clutch-bolt is retracted and held retracted bythe catch 61, thereby interrupting the continuity of the chain driving connections. As soon as the operator at the feeding end-.of the machine has other stack of wafer-sheets in position upon the chain conveyer, he again depressies the pedal 69, whereupon the described operations are repeated, the travel of the chain conveyer being intermittcd at regular uniform periods to permit the removal ofthe divided and convey away the `ping o the conve .the introduction of l mings being ldirected thereonto through .be

apertures .7.79 iby @the deflectors 8.01; ,andsaid saw-dust andEtIimmings are. .delivered into any suitable receptacle .at one/side ofthe machine, thus avoiding the vclogging of ,the motor and operating connections by .such dust and sc ra It be `observed that the mechanism effects a uniform tenmittent travel of the wafer-sheet conveyen the drivf' ing mechanism thereof disconnected or interrupted at regular intervals with the conveyer alwaysin a suitable position for the removal of the stock operated upon at the discharge end of the machine and for the introduction of a fresh stack of uncut stock at the receiving end of the machine, thus avoidin the necessity of watchfulness on the art o the operator to effect the stoper at points suitable for de ivery of the stock.

ing ,automatically the receipt and claim: j

1. In a wafer-cutting machine, the combnation with a table or latform, of an endless conveyer for the water stock, the carrying section of which travels over the surface of said table,` a series of separated pairs of transverse fli hts mounted on saidconveyer, between the 'ghts of each of which pairs the wafer stock is adapted to bepositioned and carried, a series of rotary cutters mounted above and transversely of said table, the lower portions of thev peripheries of said cutters intersecting the plane of the carrying section of the conveyer, means for imparting a continuous rotation to said cutters, means for driving said conveyer, and means' for automatically arresting thetravel of the latter with the cutters between adjacent pairs of flights whereby to facilitate the removal ofthe cut wafer stock and theintroductien of uncut stock, substantially as described.

2. In a wafer-cutting machine, the combination with a table orplatform having a plurality of parallel longitudinal grooves formed in its upper surface and a plurality of parallel slots lying between and alterhating with said grooves, of an endless conveyer for the wafer stock com rising a plurality of laterally spaced -s rocliet chains the 'carrying sections whereo engage said grooves of the table, a plurality of separated pairs of transverse rows of' flights mounted on the chains of said conveyer, between the rows of each of which pairs the wafer stock is adapted to be positioned and carried, a cutter-shaft mounted above and transversely of .said table, a series of circular cutters fast on said shaft, the peripheries. whereof lie in said slots of the table, means for imparting a continuous rotation to seid ciittei-lieft, ineens fl. ln u` Wafer-cutting machine, the comfor driving seid conveyer, ineens for aiutomatically arresting the travel of the latter with the cutters between adjacent pairs of rows of lliglits, und stationery guides on seid table for facilitating the positioning of the uncut stock, substantially u s described.

ln e Wafer-cutting machine, the coinbination with :in endless conveyer for the Wafenstock, e cutter slnil't, sind e series ol" bindtion With e table or plattform. having scrap-discharging apertures i'ornied therethrough on either side :indguides adapted to direct tl'ie scrap through smid apertures, of an endless conveyer the carrying section whereof overrides seid table, and e soleil-discharging conveyer located beneath and operating' transversely o'l' the carrying section olf soir Wafer-stoel( conveyor, -substantiel-Hy as described.

In testimony tlmt l cleini the 'foregoing es iny invention, l lieve hereunto subscribed my naine in the presence olI two witnesses.

.FRANK M. PETERS.

Witnesses l'llissn'r'r, l". M. Inni-A; if. 

